


The Littlest Guardian

by NetRaptor



Series: Destiny and Destiny 2 stories [14]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Ghosts are family too, Hope, New Parents, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-02 13:35:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16306142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NetRaptor/pseuds/NetRaptor
Summary: When Kari becomes pregnant--with a baby Guardian--she and Jayesh enter the strange new world of expectant parents. But Guardians have a notoriously high miscarriage rate ... unless the child's ghost can be found.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is dedicated to everyone who slogged through Fireteam Vengeance. Some fluff is necessary after that fic, so here is a short little fluffy fic with some feels.

"Kari, I have good news and better news," Neko said.

Kari looked up from pulling on her combat boots. "Yes?"

She was attractive, as humans went. She kept her auburn hair cut short to avoid getting it caught in her helmet, and her armored warlock robes were chosen with an eye toward form as well as function. Neko thought she was the most beautiful Guardian who'd ever walked the planets. But most ghosts thought their Guardian was the best.

Neko studied her gravely. "First, you're pregnant."

She straightened, staring at Neko. "I am?" She laid a hand on her stomach under her combat robes. It felt normal enough. A million thoughts and fears rushed through her head, culminating in general panic. She and Jayesh hadn't even had their second wedding anniversary yet.

"The better news," Neko added, "is that the child is a Guardian. I picked up the spark at once."

This piled more panic on top of the ordinary kind. Kari sat there on the sofa, nearly ready to leave for Mars on a combat mission, and faced an entirely new reality.

_I'm going to be a mother. To a baby Guardian._

Neko flew down into her face. "Now, you go to Zavala and you get yourself taken off this mission. Right now."

"Why?" Kari snapped. "This is my assignment."

Her ghost shot back, "If you die and I resurrect you, it will kill the child. Don't you dare risk it."

Kari sat there as this new blow sank in. Her whole life seemed to be spinning away into the void. Neko had always been bossy, but in this case, he was absolutely right.

Jayesh walked into the room, followed by his ghost, Phoenix. He was buckling his combat robes with the ease of long practice. "Ready to go?" Then he saw the expression on his wife's face, the way she sat, gripping the couch cushion. "What's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant," she whispered. "With a Guardian."

Jayesh stood there, shocked as if she'd punched him. His brown skin turned yellowish. Slowly he sank down to sit beside her on the couch. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure," Neko said. "I detected the new spark this morning."

Jayesh's ghost, Phoenix, flew down and scanned Kari's abdomen. "I don't believe it," he murmured. "The child's barely anything yet, and already he's a Guardian. His spark is as bright as either of yours."

"She has to quit this mission," Neko said urgently, turning to Jayesh. "A resurrection will kill the child. I'm afraid to even use a strong healing beam."

"Oh my, yes," Phoenix agreed. "Any interference from us at all might do irreparable harm. Until we can find the child's ghost, neither of us can heal him properly."

Kari pressed her hands to her face. "Oh no. A ghost, too. How will we ever manage that?"

Jayesh gave her a reassuring kiss. "It's all right, lovelight. We'll face this together. Somehow. Traveler's Light, we're going to be parents." He sank back into the sofa, staring at nothing. "I ... I didn't think this would happen so fast. A baby Guardian. How often does that happen?"

"According to Tower records?" Phoenix replied. "Never. Not to Guardian parents. Ghosts have recorded meeting children with the spark in the wilds."

"How do we find a ghost?" Kari asked. "It's not like we can put out a general message to all ghosts to come check out this one spark."

"You'd be surprised," Neko said cryptically.

Jayesh embraced Kari and held her for a long moment. She leaned against him, relishing the comfort of his touch.

He drew a shaky breath and forced a brave smile. "We'd better make our excuses to Zavala."

* * *

When they told the Vanguard Commander their news, he stood there like a great, armored statue for several seconds. Then he turned to the balcony railing and stared out over the city to the Traveler.

Kari and Jayesh waited, nervously wondering if he was about to bellow at them.

Zavala turned to face them again, hands behind his back. "I can't say this has happened since I became Vanguard Commander." He regarded both of them soberly. "But it may be an effect of the awakened Traveler. In which case, I hope it happens more often."

Kari didn't know what to say, so she nodded.

"Go to the medical ward," Zavala said. "Have this pregnancy and spark confirmed by a doctor. Send the report to me, and I'll put you in for official maternity leave. After that ... speak to Ikora. She'll want to know."

Zavala turned to Jayesh. "I understand that you're supposed to leave on your assignment in a few minutes."

Jayesh gulped. "Yes sir."

"I can give you two day's leave," Zavala said. "Naturally, this is an important development. People will want to talk to you. Understand how this happened."

Jayesh shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Ah, I assume it happened the way these things normally do."

"The Guardian spark," Zavala said, lowering his voice. "You two have survived Darkness and Light few other Guardians have seen. That may have had an effect." He studied Jayesh, in particular. "And one of you has spent more time with the Traveler than most."

Jayesh and Kari exchanged sidelong glances. She'd had her own experiences with the Traveler, but kept them dead secret.

Zavala dismissed them, and the two warlocks set out for the medical ward.

"Do you think they'll set up a Guardian breeding program?" Kari whispered.

Jayesh clenched his teeth. "They'd better not. This is probably a fluke. A million to one chance."

Kari walked in silence a moment, then suddenly laughed. "Imagine if it wasn't. Imagine if we keep having baby Guardians until there's five or six little kids with ghosts running around."

Jayesh looked shell-shocked for a moment. Then he grinned. "We do carry the Traveler's blessing. Who knows?"

* * *

The medical ward erupted into a flurry of excitement. The first doctor told her fellow doctors and nurses, and soon every doctor in the ward was lined up to scan Kari with their ghost.

When her pregnancy and the child's spark had been confirmed multiple times, the excited doctors began studying the parents. They measured their Light, blood types, DNA, and questioned them on their past history as Guardians. Kari had been a Guardian a long time and had fought on the Dreadnaught, among other things. Jayesh was younger, but when he mentioned sneaking aboard the Traveler, all the staff instantly knew who he was. The media smear campaign had died down, but it hadn't been that long ago. Kari and Jayesh were more tight-lipped about their recent experiences out in the Reef, but admitted to fierce battles with Taken.

By the time the medical staff released them, it was mid-afternoon, and neither of them had had lunch. They headed to the cafeteria, but when they walked in, the smell of the food made Kari's stomach turn over. "I don't know if I can eat, Jay," she whispered, and dashed to the restroom.

Jayesh waited anxiously outside. "Phoenix, what's wrong with her? Is she sick?"

His ghost's eye glimmered with merriment. "Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. It's called morning sickness."

Jayesh stared at him. "So ... this is normal?"

"Oh yes," Phoenix replied. "It's just hormones. It's supposed to die down in a few months."

"Months," Jayesh groaned, leaning against the wall. "They'd better give her that maternity leave."

Kari emerged from the restroom, pale and shaky. "I need to sit down for a while."

Jayesh helped her to the nearest table. "Can I get you some water?"

"With ice," she said.

He did so, then picked up a sandwich from the food counter, since he was starving. Kari watched him eat it as she sipped her water. "Actually ... could you grab me one?"

Thus Jayesh learned that Kari was most sick before a meal, and could eat just fine afterward - the reverse of any proper stomach bug.

Once finished, they walked up to see Ikora Rey, Warlock Vanguard, their usual commanding officer.

Ikora had dark skin and striking features, set off by her custom magenta robes. She was in her balcony spot under a shade, where she conducted business in fine weather. As they approached, she looked up and smiled. "I've been expecting you two. The medical ward is in quite the uproar."

"And we're still stunned," Jayesh said.

Ikora nodded. "I can imagine. Kari, your maternity leave is cleared."

Kari cleared her throat. "How ... how long is it?"

"Ten years," Ikora said without blinking.

Kari blinked. "That's a joke, right?"

"Ten years is standard leave for Guardians," Ikora replied. "You must have time to raise the child, don't you? Naturally, you can return to Vanguard service earlier, if you so choose. But your first child being a Guardian has ... given us pause."

"Like breeding programs," Jayesh muttered.

Ikora gazed at him. "Do you understand the significance of this, Jayesh? You and Kari are the first Guardian couple to produce a child with the spark in the Tower's history. The entire Tower wants to know if this can be replicated. If subsequent children are also Guardians, the Vanguard may give you leave to raise as many as you want. But it may also be a one-time fluke. This is unprecedented. We don't even know if the child will live to term. Many children of Guardians do not."

Kari tried to face this information steadily, the way she faced armies of attacking aliens. But this was no enemy - this was a celebrity spotlight. She drew a deep breath. "Well. I can't sit at home for nine months, Ikora. Can I be reassigned to work in the Tower?"

"Yes, of course," Ikora said, looking at her datapad. "There's currently an opening in Intelligence and Analysis. I understand you have experience in that department."

Kari brightened. "Oh yes! I worked there for a few months after Neko ... went away." Even now, it hurt too much to talk about the period after her ghost had died.

"Good," Ikora said. "You won't be on your feet more than necessary, and you'll be analyzing battlefield reports. If you feel the job is stressing you, we'll move you elsewhere."

"I'm not made of glass," Kari said. "I can handle a little stress."

"But the child cannot," Ikora said. "Not until a ghost is found." She looked at Neko and Phoenix. "I know you two use the GGN. Send out the news. Summon your unattached brethren."

Both ghosts nodded, with furtive looks at their Guardians.

"GGN?" Kari thought to Neko.

"Tell you later," he muttered to her mind.

"You'll start next week," Ikora concluded. "Get lots of rest. And ... congratulations."

Jayesh and Kari walked through the various twists and corners of the long Tower balcony, found their favorite cafe, and secured a table overlooking the Last City and the Traveler's great, cracked globe. They sat there for a long time in silence, holding hands.

Finally, Jayesh said, "So, what's the GGN?"

Phoenix and Neko exchanged guilty looks.

"You tell them," Phoenix said.

"Why me?" Neko replied. "Your Guardian asked first."

"Because I stopped using it when they were talking trash about him," Phoenix snarled, his eye flashing red for a second.

Neko backed away from his brother ghost. "Fair enough." He faced the humans. "GGN stands for Ghost Gossip Network. All ghosts share communications through our Light, quite apart from our normal frequencies. Most Guardians don't know about it, because, uh ..."

"You gossip about your Guardians there?" Kari suggested.

"Yes, that." Neko managed to look embarrassed. "Anyway. All ghosts have access to the GGN. The unattached ghosts out in the wilds use it to stay in touch and share news, and they do enjoy Tower gossip. Once we start sharing this story of a new Guardian who needs a ghost, thousands of ghosts will converge on the Tower. This is an amazing opportunity. To be with your Guardian from birth? You can't imagine what that means to a ghost."

Kari imagined being swarmed by thousands of ghosts. The idea was both frightening and hilarious.

"Are you guys okay with this?" she asked. "I mean ... new Guardian, new ghost. Growing family. I know you two have trouble sharing us as it is."

The two ghosts looked at each other.

"Well," Neko said slowly, "it's not so bad. Ever since you got your seeds of light ... things have been different."

"We're connected more closely, now," Phoenix ventured. "It's more of a family bond. Like ... having two Guardians." He gave Kari a tender look. "I can't really explain it. But when this child comes ... he'll share the family bond. So will his ghost. So it's ... it's like clan loyalty. We're all members and there's no point in being jealous."

Kari and Jayesh glanced at each other. "I have noticed the difference," Jayesh told her softly. "And how it changed our supers."

She nodded. "I can feel Phoenix sometimes. It's strange."

Jayesh tried to hide a smile. "And sometimes, I can feel Neko resenting me."

Kari gave Neko a stern look.

He flinched. "Sorry."

Jayesh rubbed the back of Kari's hand. "Leaving you will be the hardest. Our fireteam will be down to two."

"I know," she murmured. "Our ghosts can send messages, but the further out you go, the longer it takes."

Jayesh gave her a desperate look. "If anything happens - anything - send a message, all right? We've never been apart like this since we got married. And now, with you pregnant ... and Guardians having such a hard time carrying to term-"

"It'll be fine, Jay," she whispered, leaning toward him. "Don't freak yourself out. I'm sure the baby's ghost will turn up."

Jayesh gazed out at the Traveler, biting his lower lip, something she'd never seen him do. "How long will that take?" he muttered. "Ghosts are scattered all over the planets and moons. And so many have died. Light ... so many."

Kari caught his worry and tried to shrug it off. "Come on, let's go down to the City and see a play. We can enjoy your last bit of leave."

Jayesh rose to his feet, forcing a layer of cheer over his anxiety. "Sure! Sounds great! Which one should we see?"

But he didn't relax until much later, when he finally fell asleep in bed. And it was Kari's turn to lie awake and worry.

"Shh," Neko whispered in her mind. "Rest, my sweet Guardian. The child's spark is strong and steady. Don't fret so much."

To her surprise, Phoenix's voice joined Neko's. "It's all right, Kari. We're keeping watch. If anything happens, we'll wake you immediately."

Kari fell asleep wondering how it was possible for her husband's ghost to speak to her on the personal link that only a bonded ghost could use.


	2. Varan

The Ghost Gossip Network was particularly busy that night. As news spread that a new Guardian had been conceived and needed a ghost, many ghosts set out for the Tower at once.

Varan listened to the chatter, and a little hope touched her core for the first time in centuries. She had wandered far from the Last City, explored the moon and Venus, and ventured back to Earth again. In all those long years, never did she find a hint of her Guardian's spark. She'd joined the spy network of Tower ghosts who mapped Earth's dead zones and guided refugees to the Last City. Many ghosts had perished while doing this, but Varan managed to survive. But it had cost her all hope.

She didn't want to let herself hope again. Not one more time, not just to see that hope crushed.

But ... a baby Guardian, born to Guardian parents. The child's spark may not be compatible with her own, but she might still venture to view this wonder. It wouldn't hurt to visit the Tower. Hope had nothing to do with it. By the time she got there, the child would likely be bonded to a ghost, anyway. This was all curiosity.

This was what Varan told herself as she took to the sky and flew north.

* * *

Jayesh reluctantly departed on his assignment to Mars, where his teammate Nell cracked a lot of off-color jokes about his manly aptitude. He took it in stride and concentrated on the mission, but at night, he picked up his messages from Kari and treasured each one.

Kari started work in Intelligence and Analysis. She'd always enjoyed the detailed, fiddly work it required, and it occupied her mind. But as the days turned into weeks, her morning sickness grew worse, until she was dragging into work looking distinctly green.

Because of the length of maternity leave, there were no other Guardian mothers in the Tower to sympathize with her. But she did find a friend in Tara, an elderly Cryptarch.

Tara had been a Guardian for centuries, to the point where she was beginning to show signs of age. In her immensely long life, she had married and reared children, although none had been Guardians. She worked in Analysis, studying ancient tech recovered from the various planets.

When Kari was late to work one morning, Tara met her at the door with a cup of mint tea. "Come rest in my office," she told Kari. "I know what you're going through. I was sick with my first one the entire nine months."

Kari followed Tara to a small office with a decent chair beside the desk. Tara offered it to her and made do with a hard-backed folding chair.

"How're you holding up?" Tara asked, regarding her seriously.

Kari started talking and didn't stop for an hour. She poured out her fears, her loneliness, how badly she missed Jayesh, how she had no idea how to raise a child. Tara listened sympathetically. As Kari wound down, Tara said, "Come in for a cup of tea each morning before work. I raised seven children of my own, four boys and three girls. Now I have hundreds of descendants scattered across the City. Two of my great-great-great grandsons work right here in the Tower." She smiled fondly.

"I'm so glad I can talk to someone about this," Kari said. "This is when it would be really handy to have a mother to ask."

"That's the drawback of being a Guardian, isn't it?" Tara said. "No past history. No family ties. We Guardians have to stick together, because we're all we have." She patted Kari's hand. "Better get to work, dear. Don't want to fall behind."

Kari did, feeling somehow much less nauseated than she had in days.

* * *

That evening, when she left work and stepped outside, a cloud of ghosts enveloped her.

Kari gasped at first, then laughed. There were about thirty of them, all wearing basic shells, each blue eye bright and hopeful. They swooped around her, careful never to touch her, the breeze they created ruffling her hair.

"I hope one of you is the one," she said.

"Us, too," several said.

They scanned her abdomen one by one. And one by one, the ghosts flew away in silent disappointment.

Finally Kari was alone with only Neko beside her. "No matches?" she asked him, crestfallen.

"No matches," he replied sadly.

This became a common occurrence. When she stepped outside in the morning or left work at night, a cloud of ghosts descended on her. She grew so used to it that she would read her datapad while they all scanned her and departed one at a time. It was better than paying attention to the looks of dejection they would display. Kari read ghost emotes as clearly as human ones, and it hurt her heart to see them so sad.

Meanwhile, the child continued to grow. Soon Kari couldn't wear the same pants anymore, and had to have an old pair resized to fit her growing waist. The doctors kept a close eye on her, but so far, her pregnancy was progressing naturally.

Six weeks after he departed, Jayesh returned, strained, anxious, and tired from weeks of fighting Hive.

Their reunion was warm and passionate. Kari fixed him a special dinner - real grass-fed beefsteak - and listened to his stories of the Martian front.

"We took out three brood lairs and their queens," Jayesh told her. "They're migrating away from the poles, toward the equator, where its warmer. The Cabal still have holdings out there, and they hate the Hive, so sometimes we sat back and let them do our work for us."

Kari laughed. "The enemy of my enemy, right?"

"Right." Jayesh studied her. "How're you feeling?"

"Oh, well." Kari glossed over her near-constant morning sickness and told him about Tara. Jayesh was pleased.

"I'm glad you've got some kind of support like that. You know, an older mother. I don't know any Guardian fathers. I had Phoenix ask around on Mars. Lots of casual hook-ups. But no ... you know ... actual commitment. It's too hard, always being at war."

"And we miscarry so often," Kari said. "Guardian women have something like a fifty percent miscarry rate. One healing goes the wrong way, the baby dies. Or you die and get resurrected, the baby stays dead. It's heartbreaking."

Jayesh looked a little teary and gulped water to steady his voice. "No ghost yet?"

Kari described being visited by ghosts whenever she stepped outside. "I can't watch them anymore, though. They're so disappointed. So many ghosts, and they all want Guardians so badly. I think I empathize with ghosts too much."

Jayesh smiled sadly and looked at Phoenix, who floated nearby, his red and yellow shell in need of cleaning after six weeks of field work. "I probably do, too."

"You empathize with everyone," Phoenix pointed out. "You even had trouble cleaning out Hive brood."

"Gross, seriously?" Kari said.

Jayesh took a few bites of steak before answering. "Well. We were destroying eggs. With life in them. And it made me think about you, and ... it was hard."

"You still did it, right?"

He nodded. "It's what I was there to do. But I was sick in decontamination afterward. They thought it was just from being around Hive filth. Lots of Guardians get sick from that. That's what I let them think."

Kari rubbed his shoulder as he pushed his steak around. It was a while before he could finish it. She'd already devoured hers and felt better than she had in days.

"At least I've got a whole month until my next assignment," Jayesh said, cheering up. "They're keeping me on Earth for now. I'll run local patrols in the meantime. Maybe take hospital mercy missions. My new healing power is so strong, I could probably do a whole hospital by myself."

"I wish I could," Kari said wistfully. "After being out there, fighting to protect our home for so long, a desk job feels so ... stale. Interesting, but not like I'm saving the world."

"It's better than fighting Taken in the Reef," Jayesh told her. "I'm glad you have anything to do."

She forced a brave smile. "Once I reach second trimester, I'm supposed to feel better. I'm halfway there."

He looked at her anxiously. "I hope so. I wanted to make love tonight, but I'm terrified of hurting you, somehow."

"It's all right," she murmured. "We'll take it slow. The doctors said it's safe."

Jayesh looked relieved. "You let me know if it's the least bit uncomfortable, won't you?"

"I will. Don't be so scared, Jay."

And in the end, it worked out, and they had a wonderful evening.

* * *

Varan listened to the GGN constantly. Most of the discussion now was about this Guardian and her unborn child. Many ghosts had met her and scanned the child's spark, but none had been able to bond with it. Many ghosts were sad and a little bitter.

Varan didn't let herself hope. Not when so many others had been turned away. She flew night and day for weeks, staying at high altitudes, where nothing could harm her. The European Dead Zone rolled by beneath her, all mountains, forests, and rivers. She kept track of the time, estimating the child's growth. First trimester. Second trimester.

She sang to herself, very softly, as she flew. It was all right to dream, wasn't it? A dream wasn't the same as hope.

"Dreams are nothing more than wishes," she hummed, "and a wish is just a dream you wish would come true."

So she dreamed of bonding to a new, young Guardian, and tried not to let it become hope.

Then one night, the news broke that the child was sick.

The GGN filled with panic and mourning. A baby Guardian who might die for lack of a ghost? Details flew as ghosts analyzed the child's condition. Birth defects, they said. Flaws in the brain. The child might make it to term, but would die at birth.

Varan tried to fly faster, using the wind currents to speed herself onward.

More news. The mother had been assigned full bed rest with a doctor's visit once a day. The Guardians were determined to save the child, and talked of letting the father try a healing rift.

"The father's a warlock," Varan whispered to herself. "What might the mother be?"

Another warlock, the GGN informed her.

"And they're both wonderful," the mother's ghost told the GGN. "Please, keep trying, friends. Someone has to bond with this child before it's too late."

Varan liked warlocks. But then, she liked titans and hunters, too. Most likely, she wouldn't be a match for the child, either. But a tiny part of her dreamed of what it might be like to have not just a Guardian, but to belong to a Guardian family. To watch her Guardian grow up with no questions about their past.

She reached the Tower one evening as the child was entering third trimester. The child's poor health was holding steady, but the defects meant that he was certain to die once he left the womb.

Varan crept around the new Tower, which she had never seen before, marveling at the damage left by the Red War. It seemed terribly crowded, Guardians and ghosts everywhere.

She sent a message to the mother's ghost, Neko. "I'm here, but it's getting late. When does your Guardian accept ghost visits?"

"She's already had three waves today," Neko replied. "I'll ask if she'll allow one more."

Varan waited, trying not to hope. It would only hurt worse when she was incompatible with the spark.

Neko spoke again. "How many ghosts are with you?"

Varan looked around in the gathering darkness. The Tower was winding down for the night, humans and Guardians congregating in the Tower's ramen and tea shops. She saw no other unattached ghosts. "It's just me."

"Come on in, then. Here's our location." Neko sent her a navigation marker.

Varan followed it downstairs, into the wall itself, where the dormitories were. The marker led her to an upper level apartment - one of the nicer ones with plenty of floor space and a good view. She hesitated outside the door. "I'm here."

"Phase inside," Neko said. "They're waiting for you."

Varan faced the door and sudden fear seized her core. She was about to fail. She would let these Guardians down, and their ghosts would humiliate her. She was about to scan the suffering child for herself and her heart would break once more. Maybe there was no spark compatible with her own. Maybe she should quietly return to the wilds and not open herself to more pain.

She flew in circles in the hallway. No, she had come so far. It would be foolish to travel all the way to the Tower, only to leave without even trying. She was no coward.

Varan phased through the door.

Inside was a tidy apartment lit by warm yellow lamps. A home, she sensed at once. Not just a place for a Guardian to dump their gear. The Guardians here had worked to make this place welcoming for each other.

The mother and father sat together on a sofa, the mother's feet propped up on a chair. They watched Varan with the same expression - wary hope.

Varan wanted to beg them to please not hope. Not for her. Not when she had spent centuries searching for a spark that probably didn't exist.

She halted near the door, too terrified to move any closer.

The mother beckoned. "Come on. It's all right."

"But I'll let you down," Varan said. "So many have tried, and I'm ... I'm ..."

"Just try," said the father. "There's nothing to lose at this point."

Nothing but hope. The hope Varan hadn't wanted to feel. The hope that this rare, special Guardian might be destined for her. Who was she to think she deserved that?

She inched forward, not scanning, only watching their faces, feeling their sparks. Such fine, bright sparks. Some Guardians had fairly dim ones, but these were nearly as pure as the Traveler, itself.

The child's spark glowed from his mother's womb, where he lay curled and comfortable, sleeping. Varan simply gazed at it, not even trying to scan. Such a beautiful life, scarcely begun. It tugged her forward, calling to her, singing a song of love and friendship.

She halted with a gasp.

"What?" the mother exclaimed.

The ghosts of the two Guardians appeared in a flash of Light, staring eagerly at Varan. "She's the one," Neko said.

Varan looked at their eager faces, hope and disbelief battling inside her. A wild impulse to flee crept through her mind. She backed away a little. But the baby's spark continued to call to her, singing.

The father held out a hand. "Please. Don't be afraid. You can save him."

Varan hung in midair, looking at their eager faces, then at the child's glorious spark. Her own Light surged, and without meaning to, she opened her core. Her spark brightened, and she bonded it to the child's, taking in everything about his personality, how his body was knit together, and building the empathic link that let ghosts communicate with their Guardians. It was all the love and companionship she had been created for and lacked for so long.

The child stirred, turning his head toward her, blinking in the darkness of his mother.

"Hello," Varan whispered.

The child had no words yet, but she felt him question, felt his curiosity as he reached for her. And she felt the wrongness in his body.

"You won't die, my Guardian," she murmured. She shone her healing beam on the mother's belly, reaching inside to the baby, repairing the damaged DNA, restoring the missing cells, and fixing numerous other small things wrong that the doctors hadn't yet found.

The mother burst into tears. "He'll live now. He's going to live!"

Varan looked at them all, steadier, her desperation gone. Deep contentment filled her. "I'm sorry, I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Varan."

Thus she met Jayesh and Kari, Phoenix and Neko.

"And what's the child's name?" she asked.

Kari and Jayesh exchanged a look.

"Well," Kari said, "we hadn't picked out a name ... because ..."

"I understand," Varan said, hovering close to Kari, which was as close as she could get to her Guardian. "Then ... if I may ... might I call him Connor? I knew a human by that name once. He fought to save his family from the Fallen. They were rescued, but he was struck down, and ... I'd like to honor his memory."

The parents gazed at her for a long moment, then looked at each other. "I like Connor," said Kari.

"Sounds good to me," Jayesh replied. "You know, Guardians usually name their ghosts, but this is the other way around."

"I hope it's not too forward," Varan said.

"It's fine, Varan," Kari reassured her. "I'm so glad you've found us. I can't even express how glad."

Phoenix and Neko flew to Varan and looked her over from every angle. "You'll need a new shell," Phoenix observed. "You're too pointy to be with a baby."

"You're right," Varan exclaimed, horrified. She turned pleadingly to Kari and Jayesh. "Might I ... would it be possible?"

"We'll get you a new shell," Jayesh reassured her. "Tomorrow, so you can get used to it." He sighed. "I hope you don't mind being adventure-free for a few decades."

"I've had enough adventure," Varan replied. "Lonely, solo adventures are frightening. Having a Guardian is the only adventure I want from now on."


	3. A new life begun

The next day, when Kari's doctor visited, she was overjoyed to see the strange new ghost hovering alongside Kari's. They immediately ran tests to check the baby, whose brain was now completely normal. Kari was allowed to move around outside again, which came as a huge relief to her. Even though she had another month before her due date, she went back to work to alleviate her sheer boredom.

Varan accompanied her everywhere, happiness radiating from her. The GGN was generally envious, but within a day, gossip had turned to the possibilities of other baby Guardians occurring, now that the Traveler was awakened.

One morning, several weeks later, Kari took a walk along the top of the wall. It was midsummer, and it was early enough that the night's coolness had not yet departed. She found a favorite spot to sit and gaze across the Last City, or the landscape outside. Neko and Varan accompanied her, as usual.

"Varan," Kari asked, "I know you have your own Guardian, now. But Jay and I are technically responsible for him, and by extension, you, too."

Varan nodded. She wore a rounded, pastel-blue shell with no sharp edges, her eye glowing serenely from the center. "I'm aware of this, ma'am."

"So," Kari went on, "if you need anything, or feel neglected, or anything at all, talk to us or our ghosts. All right? Connor won't be able to care for you for a long while."

"Thank you," Varan said softly. "I've been alone for so long, the concept of being taken care of is ... new. And strange." She looked at Neko, who floated nearby. "You've all made me feel so welcome. I know eventually, when Connor is grown, we'll go off on our own. But for now, being adopted into your family is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I've never met Guardians who truly loved each other before."

Varan was going to say more, but a thought reached her from Connor. An expression of discomfort. She gazed at Kari's belly.

At the same time, Kari winced. "I think that was a contraction."

"He felt it," Varan said. "I suppose a week ahead of schedule isn't too early."

"My doctor will protest," Kari said. "Ugh, I'd better get off this wall and beg off work."

"Yes, you'd better!" Neko exclaimed. He circled her, sweeping her with a scanning beam. "Yes, your labor has begun." He zipped around her again, his pupil contracted to a terrified dot. "My Guardian is in labor! What do I do?"

"Tell Jayesh and Phoenix, silly," Kari said, walking slowly back along the wall.

"Yes, yes, and stay calm," Neko said. "That's important, isn't it? Stay calm, Guardian!"

"I'm fine, Neko," Kari said, smiling at him. "Come here."

He flew to her, and she caught him in both hands. "Look at me, little light. I'm not upset. I'm glad the baby is coming. But I need you to be calm now, too. I don't want to get upset because you are."

"I'm sorry, Kari," Neko whispered. "I'll be as calm as an iceberg, I promise."

As soon as she released him, he resumed zipping around her in agitation, this time in silence.

It took her a long time to reach the office where she worked. Her boss took one look at her and excused her.

Tara hurried up and helped Kari sit down. "You're in labor, dear. When did it start?"

"About fifteen minutes ago," Kari said. "The contractions are far apart, still."

"Likely they'll be like that for hours," Tara said. "Let me help you get home."

Tara and Kari walked slowly back to Kari's apartment. Tara explained the process of labor so Kari would know what to expect. Kari had read about it, but Tara talked about it so rationally that it reassured her. Even Neko calmed down a little.

Kari had just gotten situated in her favorite spot on the sofa when Jayesh burst in. "Kari? Kari!" He dashed to her and knelt beside the sofa. "You're in labor? So early? What do we do?"

Tara emerged from the kitchen with a tall glass of water. "Calm down, young man. She has hours of labor ahead of her and she needs to conserve her strength."

Tara explained the process all over again. Jayesh grew calmer as she talked, and relaxed a little. Their ghosts listened, too.

Varan kept tabs on little Connor. It was uncomfortable for him, too, but in a different way. Each contraction forced his lungs to contract, teaching him the motions of breathing. Whenever he protested or grew frightened, Varan soothed him. "Only a little longer, sweetness. Then we can meet face to face." Other times she sang to him, lullabies she had heard mothers sing their children, which pleased him and helped him relax, and even sleep.

Varan focused only on her Guardian, and accompanied her new family down to the medical ward in a dreamlike way, hardly aware of her surroundings. Labor progressed naturally. Kari managed the pain with breathing exercises, her husband and ghost close by, offering moral support.

Labor transitioned to pushing, and before long, Connor was born, pink and squalling in the shock of lights and cold. Varan followed the doctors around as they cleaned him, wrapped him in a blanket, and placed him in his mother's arms to be nursed.

The lights were dimmed, the doctors left, and the little family gazed at the tiny newborn life granted to them. Connor nursed in stages, falling asleep every few minutes, exhausted from the ordeal of being born.

"I thought babies cried more," Kari said, stroking her son's exquisitely soft head.

"Why does he need to cry?" Jayesh said. "He has you and his own ghost. He'll be the happiest baby ever."

A while later, the doctors moved Kari to a comfortable recovery room, where Neko made healing passes up and down her body.

"This is interesting," he observed. "I can mend the torn places inside you, but a lot of compression has to happen that I can't mend because it's not broken."

"It's fine, Neko," Kari told him. "You've already helped a lot. Nothing hurts as bad as labor. I feel so much better already."

She ate dinner from the medical ward's kitchen and dozed in the hospital bed. Jayesh fell asleep in a chair, and their ghosts phased.

Varan stayed beside the bassinet, watching over her Guardian. He slept for a while, but began to wake up. The touch of cloth on his soft skin irritated him, and so did the diaper. He opened his eyes, looked up at Varan, and whimpered.

"I know," she whispered. "It'll get better, I promise."

Kari snapped awake at the first sound and lifted Connor into her lap for nursing again. As he settled into his mother's embrace, Varan said, "Do - do you mind if I sing to him?"

"Go ahead," Kari said wearily. "It might help us both sleep." She didn't mention that she'd never heard a ghost sing before.

Varan sang, her voice a little modulated in spots, a lullaby about a child refusing to sleep. Neko and Phoenix both woke up to listen.

When Varan finished the song, both Kari and Connor were fast asleep, Connor feeling much safer so close to his mother. Varan landed on the blanket beside them and shut off her eye light, letting herself rest.

"She's wonderful," Neko said privately to Phoenix. "How did our Guardians' child wind up with such an angel of a ghost?"

"I think Connor must have a very sweet soul to bond to such a sweet ghost," Phoenix replied. "And I thought Rose was adorable."

Neko sighed. "I hope she sings him to sleep every night."

"Me too," Phoenix agreed.

* * *

25 years later

Guardian Connor emerged from the Crucible bunker, hands uplifted to the cheering crowd outside. His burly frame was clad in heavy Titan armor, painted the red and blue of his team's colors, now scratched and dented from his various battles.

Connor exchanged high fives and back slaps with his team, then high-fived the waving hands of fans on his way out of the arena.

"Victory drinks on me!" he told his team, and led the way down the street to their favorite bar and steakhouse.

As the noisy Crucible team secured their favorite booth, Connor noticed a lone warlock sitting in the shadows by the door. "Hold on, guys, I'll be right back." He crossed the restaurant and sat at the table across from the warlock. In his armor, he nearly made two of him.

"Hi, Dad."

Jayesh shook his hand across the table. "I came to say congratulations on your win. That match today was crazy."

They talked the finer points of Crucible teams for a few minutes. The only sign of the passing years was that Jayesh's shoulders had broadened with muscle. His kind, thoughtful smile concealed the most respected warlock in the Tower, and the most deadly fighter in strikes. Connor secretly thought that if he ever met his father in the Crucible, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Jayesh said, "I won't keep you from your celebration, son. If you're not busy tomorrow, your mother, sisters, and I have an early birthday present for you. Ah, it's an engram, so we don't know exactly what's in it."

Connor's eyes lit up. "Wow, thanks, Dad! I'll come over as soon as I finish patrol."

They stood up and hugged briefly, then Jayesh slipped out into the gathering twilight. Connor returned to his team, gratified that his father had watched the game so closely.

Later that night, he returned to his room in the tower, a tiny, one-roomed apartment that he'd decorated with Crucible trophies and posters of his favorite teams.

As he pulled off his armor, Varan phased into sight. She wore an expensive shell like a disco ball that flashed and glittered as she moved.

"You did well," she told him. In comparison to his own booming voice and that of his teammates', his ghost was almost comically soft-spoken.

Connor's manner changed. From roughly handling his armor, his motions slowed. He extended one hand and gently stroked her shell with his fingertips, showing a vulnerability he concealed from his team. "I couldn't do it without you, Var. You pointed out that last capture point that won us the game."

She shaped her eye-light into a cartoon smile. As quiet as she was, she also knew Crucible strategy cold.

He finished removing his armor and stacked it in a corner. "Gotta spend time fixing it tomorrow. Too many dents." He took a quick shower, then flopped on his bed with a contented sigh.

"Varan?" he said, as his ghost settled on the pillow beside his head.

"Yes, sweetness?" she said.

"Sing me to sleep?"

She sounded pleased. "I'd be happy to."

The end


End file.
